The Politics of Climate Risk

The Politics of Climate Risk

The British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, London

29th January 2025

The event was led alongside Claire O'Neill, the former UK Minister for Energy and Climate Change, who brought forward the legislation committing the UK to Net Zero by 2050. Joining the discussion were climate finance leaders from banking, ESG leaders from public and private markets, standard setters and regulators.

Claire’s opening address covered the shift from reporting to action, the importance of 'climate realism', and the political challenges of making climate risk more palatable than climate change. The subsequent Q&A, held under Chatham House Rules, explored the shifting political narrative from mitigation to adaptation and the need for businesses to act despite the ESG backlash. The session provided a timely conversation on why the politics of climate risk are becoming as contentious as the politics of mitigation, facilitated by a uniquely qualified political insider.